Entertainment Gear
- Jenn Lopez
- Nov 21, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 22, 2024
Entertainment Gear
by Jenn Lopez
Buckle up my friends, this one will be a long one. There’s so much that went into this category strictly because of the duration of our trip, and the amount of space we knew we were working with. Also, we had a 9 year old in tow, so ya know, entertainment while moving around was probably more important than if it was just Edgar and I. Most things on this list are either electronic or protective gear or accessories.
To start, that Nintendo Switch has saved our butt’s more times than I’d like to say. I know that sounds awful, but when you show up somewhere new, that’s already paid for, and it’s a disaster, it’s super discouraging, especially with a kid in tow.
I remember one place in particular, we showed up and Nora started to cry. She did not want to stay there. It was pretty dirty, but it was safe, and we knew enough at that point that we actually started traveling with cleaning supplies. So I cleaned her a little area to sit, have a snack, and let her play her nintendo while Edgar and I got started. While she played, she didn’t notice all that we did, so when she was done playing, it was like a new place to her. It turned out to be one of her favorite places we stayed.
To go along with the Nintendo switch, we bought the screen protectors, protective case, as well as a hard carrying case that housed all her things, her hard case of games, her remotes, adaptors, cords, etc… But that nintendo switch was something that, as much as I hated it, I also saw the value in it. She was doing something she enjoyed and that she used to do at home, so there was comfort in it. And at times, comfort was something she desperately needed.
Most of the entertainment things in this section are just about that, comfort. When you’re in a different country, surrounded by unfamiliar things, language, and culture, you need something to provide comfort until you can become comfortable on your own. Cuddling up with mom and dad and watching a movie, or your favourite show, or playing for an hour or so on the switch when you’d never normally be allowed that amount of time, is a treat and a source of comfort.
One of the coolest things I found for Nora’s switch was the adaptor. We went to gaming shops, best buy and the like looking for something to protect or decrease the size of the switch dock. The switch itself is small but you don’t always want to deal with a little screen. The adaptor is so small and it completely replaces the big docking station. For people traveling with carry-on only, it was a HUGE win!!
The other great thing we got for the switch was the Terabyte memory card. When Hogwarts Legacy was coming out, our little Harry Potter Fan was beside herself waiting. Ordering games online with the terabyte card was super easy and stress free. When Hogwarts finally came out for the switch in November of last year, it automatically showed up on the main screen and it was a very happy day.
Reading has been a huge part of our lives for a while now. Ever since Nora was a baby, we’ve read stories to her before bed. Turns out Edgar and I also enjoy books at bedtime. As a family, we need something that could carry Nora's comic books and novels, as well as the books Edgar and I enjoy reading. The kindles were perfect for this. Amazon made it super easy to preview, purchase and download any book, even comic books. With a protective case on each kindle, they’ve been everywhere including poolside, and they're still in great shape.
Unfortunately, not all great ideas come when you need them. Another purchase we made but while in Mexico was the Fire TV Stick. Before we left Canada, we had a fire tv so we were used to the platform. We had purchased a USB-C to HDMI cable to connect our computer to various monitors and TVs and thought we had it covered. However, Disney+ for example does not like that connection. It’ll play the movie fine on the computer, but as soon as you connect the computer to the tv, it won’t work. The cable works great for other platforms, but Disney+ did not like it.
Another issue we came across was Netflix would not work in another country. We had traveled years prior and our Netflix account had worked fine even without a VPN, but not so much last year. It was a whole thing. I called and they were rather rude in explaining that I could purchase Netflix in Mexico but offered no other help when asked. We did try the VPN company we were using while in Canada, and it didn’t help with our Netflix issue.
After lots of research we figured out that the best way to get access to all our subscription services was through the Amazon Fire TV Stick and a new VPN, NordVPN. We were able to plug the stick into any TV, avoid giving out our logins, and it was so small. NordVPN is also an app that is easily downloaded on the stick. Between the stick and the NordVPN, we were able to watch whatever we wanted, including accessing our Netflix from Canada while in Mexico. It made life easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Next up, the iPad and pencil. The iPad has turned out to be a great tool for Nora’s learning, creativity, and ability to keep in touch with her friends. Before we left Canada, she started learning about digital art, and with the limited space available to us, there was no room for her usual art supplies. The iPad with the paper screen protector and the pencil became her outlet. She wrote stories using the keyboard, created art, edited videos, took online classes, video chatted with friends, researched, and played all on the iPad. The pencil worked well for her and she now has a huge collection of digital art she’s thinking about making into stickers.
In this category of packing, think of what comforts you. During Hurricane Lydia while in Mexico, we were able to cuddle together and watch one of Nora’s favorite movies on the computer to try and help calm ourselves while the world outside was out of control. Consider the length of your trip and what you think you’d like to relax with, be it a good book by the pool or your favorite movie.
Given the length of our trip and the packing restrictions we gave ourselves, we made plans but also had to make adjustments as we went. If you have any of these items and are looking for a good way to downsize, say the docking station on the switch, or to stay connected with your subscriptions as you travel, the items mentioned above have worked extremely well for us. Hope these ideas help you find some comfort during your next trip.